Malco Tools, Inc., was recognized for excellence in workplace safety and health during the Governor’s Safety Awards ceremony on May 8 at the 85th annual Minnesota Safety & Health Conference.
Malco earned the 2018 Meritorious Achievement Award in Occupational Safety and is one of 294 employers to be honored through the 2019 awards program coordinated by the Minnesota Safety Council. Malco Environmental Safety Manager Felix “Hap” Spooner was also recognized with the Arthur E. McCauley, Jr. Minnesota Occupational Safety and Health Leadership Award for his leadership in workplace safety.
The annual Governor’s Safety Awards program has honored Minnesota employers with exceptional safety performance since 1934. Applicants are judged on several years of injury data as it compares with national industry statistics, and on their progress in implementing a comprehensive safety program. Malco, which has earned recognition through the program 11 times since 2004, received recognition for incident numbers that are better than the industry average for at least three years, and for scoring a 96 on a rigorous 100-point safety program evaluation scale.
“We are proud to once again be recognized by the Minnesota Safety Council for our commitment to creating a safe, healthy and productive workplace for each of our employee-owners,” said Malco President and CEO Mardon Quandt. “By manufacturing innovative, ergonomic tool designs, Malco is also committed to extending that safety culture to the customer.”
“Every day in Minnesota, about 100 workers get injured or ill to the point that they can’t go back to their job the next day,” said Paul Aasen, president of the Minnesota Safety Council. “Congratulations to Malco Tools, Inc., for their hard work to make sure their employees are not a part of this statistic.”
Malco is also proud to be certified through the Minnesota Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (MNSHARP) for working with management and employees to develop safety and health programs that go beyond basic compliance with applicable OSHA standards for long-term prevention of job-related injuries and illnesses.
The Minnesota Safety Council, founded in 1928, is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in Minnesota by preventing unintentional injuries. Malco has been a member of the Council for over 28 years.
Environmental Safety Manger Hap Spooner Recognized
Malco’s Hap Spooner was awarded the Arthur E. McCauley, Jr. Minnesota Occupational Safety and Health Leadership Award from the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry. Spooner has been the Environmental Safety Manager for Malco Products for more than 26 years. During his tenure at Malco, Spooner spearheaded efforts to develop comprehensive safety and environmental programs and policies, leading Malco to achieve MNSHARP status since 2004.
This award honors an individual who has excellent personal character, as well as safety and health competence. Spooner has instilled and actively maintains a strong safety culture at Malco, resulting in the health, wellbeing and overall success of more than 165 employees.